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Becoming a Good Boss

Many people erroneously think that bosses are there to check how things are going and tell other people what to do. Some even think that everyone could do it. However, they could not be more wrong at least as much as good bosses are concerned. But what makes someone a good boss in the first place? Being loved or hated by the employees? Well, it is neither of both.

All people like to be loved by others and bosses are no different. However, it is impossible to be an authority and to be loved by your employees at the same time. They are human beings with feelings and should be always treated as such but they also need to know where is their place. It may sound brutal but it is important to be aware that it is very difficult to control people if they consider you as an equal to them. Since a good boss needs to manage people and make sure that everything is done as it should be on time, you cannot afford yourself to be treated as an equal or a friend by your employees. Why? Because people do not tend to take seriously anyone whom they do not perceive as authority. And the second thing you should keep in mind is the fact that you are not equal to your employees. You should play your role and they should play theirs.

Just as ineffective is the second extreme – being hated or scared by your employees. It may be true that it is highly important to keep a certain distance from your employees, however, ignoring them or treating them as underlings rather than human beings will not achieve the desired results either. This is due to the fact that they are human beings and demand to be treated as such unless they quickly become demotivated, demoralised and disinterested in their work. After all, if no one notices that they have done a great job, why to bother in the first place. And this is exactly what they think and the result is typically lower productivity. Now, you do not want that either, do you?

But if you cannot be their friend nor the scary boss, what is the recipe? It is not that difficult really if you know how most people think. The truth is that people look up to individuals who have authority and show leadership skills. People need a leader and a good boss needs to be a leader too. The key to becoming a good boss is not to win your employees’ affection nor make them feel scared of you but to earn their respect because most people always want to please those they respect. And the best way to win your employees’ respect is to be somewhere in between a “good“ and “bad“ boss. Your employees need to be shown that you appreciate their work but they also need to know that there will be sanctions if they do not do their best.